Chapter 7 - Blood on the Linoleum
Elena squeezed her eyes shut, drawing Lily deeper beneath her coat, curling her spine like a shield over her child. She felt for anything—a rusted nail, a broken bottle—anything to fight with in the absolute blackness.
The trapdoor flew upward with a deafening screech of wood. Gray light poured into the cellar, silhouetting a broad, leather-jacketed figure holding a sawed-off shotgun.
""Well, well,"" the man sneered, raising the barrel. ""Look what crawled into the—""
A shadow dropped from above the opening like a falling stone.
Julian’s heavy wool coat billowed as he landed directly onto the man's shoulders, driving the intruder down into the cellar dirt with a brutal, bone-crushing impact. The shotgun clattered against the stone floor, discharging harmlessly into a sack of potatoes with a muffled blast that sent dust billowing into the cellar air.
In the dim light, Elena saw Julian’s face. It was smeared with dark crimson across the cheekbone, his slicked hair disheveled, chest heaving beneath his torn overcoat. He had the intruder pinned by the throat with one knee, his forearm locked across the man’s windpipe until the struggling figure went completely limp.
Julian rose slowly, breathing hard, the silence returning with crushing weight. He stood over the unconscious man for two seconds before turning his gaze toward the corner where Elena crouched.
His eyes fell upon Lily, whose small hazel eyes were wide with terror, reflecting the faint gray light from the open hatch.
Julian slowly lowered his weapon, clicking the safety on with his thumb. He looked down at his bloodstained knuckles, then hurriedly wiped them against the wool of his trousers before taking a single step forward.
""The perimeter is clear for ninety seconds,"" Julian said, his voice raspy, fighting for breath. ""His car is blocking the alley, but my driver is around the block.""
Elena stood up slowly, her knees wobbling beneath Lily's weight. ""You brought this to us. We were safe here.""
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Julian looked at her, his jaw tight, a faint flicker of pain passing behind his cold features. ""You were never safe, Elena. You were just invisible. And now the lights are on.""
He reached out his arms toward the child. ""Give her to me. You can barely stand.""
